Lacing device

ABSTRACT

A lacing device is disclosed for fastening to a flexible piece of material. Further, a method of mounting a lacing device is also disclosed. The lacing device has a lace holding part, an intermediate fastening element and an inner fastening element. The inner fastening element is adapted to make, in the mounted state, permanent engagement with the intermediate fastening element. The lace holding part is detachable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a lacing device comprising at least one laceholding part, an inner fastening element and an intermediate fasteningelement for fastening to a flexible piece of material, said piece ofmaterial being located between said inner fastening element and saidintermediate fastening element.

BACKGROUND ART

An example of a traditionally designed device of the type described byway of introduction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,594,416, whichdescribes a button with an internal thread that is screwed on theexternally threaded pin of a “link part”. The pin of the “link part” ishollow and also internally threaded, so that the underside of the “linkpart” can be made to abut against a fabric and be screwed to a plateprovided with a pointed, threaded stud and located on the inside of thefabric. In fastening, the pointed stud of the plate is pressed throughthe fabric, after which the “link part” is threaded onto the stud andthe button is in turn threaded onto the “link part”. No hole has to beprepared in the fabric in order to fasten the button. The object of thedevice is to provide a completely detachable button which, withoutrequiring a prepared hole in the fabric, can be fastened to the same bypressing the stud through the fabric and then screwing on the link partand the button. The device is adapted to resemble a button, traditionalfor articles of clothing, which is passed through a corresponding buttonhole.

A button as described above is not intended to be exposed to great outerstrain but is mainly a replacement for shirt and coat buttons. If thebutton should be exposed to great strain, such as jerks, impacts orgreat tensile stress, there is an eminent risk that the button wouldcome loose from the fabric to which it is fastened.

EP 0 599 025 B1 discloses an example of a fastening device forwaterproof shoes, where a lacing part in the form of an eyelet in apreassembly surrounds a formable plug which, when fastening thefastening device to an upper leather of a shoe, is penetrated by arivet, after which the formable plug expands and seals against the upperleather. In another embodiment, it is shown how the formable plug isinstead preassembled with the rivet before the upper leather and thelacing part are assembled. Owing to the elastic workability of the plug,the plug is after riveting exposed to constant prestressing. The seal isestablished by the formable plug after riveting being the interface tothe hole in the upper leather and lying flat on the same. For thefastening device to be waterproof, the hole for the rivet in theformable plug must have an inner diameter which is smaller than theouter diameter of the rivet.

This prior-art fastening device for waterproof shoes has the drawbackthat, after fastening to the upper leather, it constitutes a fixedportion of the shoe. For instance, for a sports shoe or casual shoe,which is exposed to great loads in use, a problem arises if thefastening device should break. In particular the outermost part, thelacing part, is exposed to stress from the environment and can break. Inthat case, it is not possible to exchange the lacing part withouttearing the entire fastening device. Nor is it possible to replace thelacing part if it is incorrectly dimensioned.

SUMMARY

The object of the present invention is to suggest a solution to theabove problems by providing an improved lacing device. By lacing deviceis meant a device which is adapted to orient, check or in some other waylimit the freedom of movement of a joint. According to the invention,this object is achieved by the device of the type mentioned by way ofintroduction being given the features that are evident from claim 1.Thus, the invention is based on the features that the lacing device usesa first permanent joint for fastening the actual lacing device to aflexible piece of material, for instance a piece of fabric, and that thelace holding device of the lacing device is not fastened to thispermanent joint but is instead releasably and separately connected.Preferred embodiments are evident from the dependent claims. The objectis also achieved by a method according to claims 26-28.

The lacing device provided according to the invention is extremelyadvantageous since it is safely and tightly mounted on the base while atthe same time the component which is most exposed to mechanical strainis easily replaceable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to theaccompanying schematic drawings which by way of example illustrate twocurrently preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates the lacing device mounted on a shoe;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a mounted first embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of a mounted second embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 5 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 2, of an alternative embodimentof the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 2-3 illustrate a lacing device 1 according to an embodiment of theinvention, which comprises a lace holding part 2, an intermediatefastening element 3 and an inner fastening element 4. The lace holdingpart 2 in turn comprises an outer fastening element 5 and alace-catching element in the form of a lace hook 6. The drawings alsoshow a flexible piece of material 7, to which the lacing device 1 isadapted to be attached.

The outer fastening element 5 in the lace holding part 2 is providedwith external threads 8 and, for the purpose of being tightened andloosened, also at least one recess 9 for a screw tool. The lace hook 6in the lace holding part 2 has a hook part 10, a fastening hole 11 forfastening the outer fastening element 5 from the outside, and adepression 12 which is formed to enclose and position to the hook part10 of the lace hook 6. Positioning can take place by means ofsupplementary non-round or regularly polygonal shapes of the depression12 of the lace holding part 2 and the intermediate element 3,respectively. In the mounted state, the hook part 10 of the lace hook 6is laterally offset relative to the centre axis A of the lacing device 1through the flexible piece of material 7.

The intermediate fastening element 3 has in turn an outer shape which isadapted to fit the depression 12 of the lace hook 6 and is also providedwith internal threads 13 in order to fit together, in a lockable manner,with the outer fastening element 5 in the lace holding part 2. Analternative embodiment means that the lace holding part or the outerfastening element is fitted to the intermediate fastening element bysnap action, in which case no threads are required. The underside of theintermediate fastening element 3 has an opening 14 with a surroundingshoulder 15 which when assembled with the flexible piece of material 7is pressed into the same and fits tightly round the inner fasteningelement 4. This shoulder 15 ensures tightness in the attachment of thelacing device 1 to the flexible piece of material 7. Moreover, theintermediate fastening element 3 is arranged to form, in the mountedstate in connection with the making of the permanent engagement betweenthe intermediate fastening element 3 and the inner fastening element 4,a space 16 for holding deformation material of a deformed portion 17formed by the upper part 18 of the inner fastening element 4.

The inner fastening element 5 has a top face 19 and is made of aplastically deformable material in its upper part 18.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 4, theouter fastening element 5 is provided with a conical point 20 for thepurpose of forming the deformed portion 17 of the upper part 18 of theinner fastening element 4 in the material holding space 16. In thisembodiment, the inner fastening element 4 is open in its upper part 18and thus has a limited, small top face 19.

The embodiment according to FIG. 5 differs from the embodiment shown inFIG. 2 only by the head of the inner fastening element 4 a beingenlarged in the lateral direction and provided with supplementaryfastening rivets for its attachment to the piece of material 7.

Mounting of the lacing device 1 takes place in several steps. First, theupper part 18 of the inner fastening element 4 is inserted into aprepared hole in the flexible piece of material 7. Then the intermediatefastening element 3 is slipped onto the upper part 18 of the innerfastening element 4 with the flexible piece of material 7 locatedbetween these elements in such a manner that the upper part 18 issurrounded by the intermediate fastening element 3. The upper part 18 ofthe inner fastening element 4 can be deformed to a deformed portion 17in the material holding space 16 by means of a striking tool which isinserted into the intermediate fastening element 3. Since the diameterof the deformed portion 17 is greater than the diameter of the opening14 of the intermediate fastening element 3, the intermediate fasteningelement 3 and the inner fastening element 4 are now permanently engagedwith each other.

For final assembly of the lacing device 1, the lace hook 6 is slippedonto the intermediate fastening element 3 in such a manner that theintermediate fastening element 3 is covered by the depression 12 of thelace hook 6, and the hook part 10 of the lace hook 6 is oriented asrequired. Finally, the outer fastening element 5 is inserted into thefastening hole 11 of the lace hook 6 and fastened in the internalthreads 13 of the intermediate fastening element 3. The lace holdingpart 2 which is formed by the lace hook 6 and the outer fasteningelement 5 now abuts against the flexible piece of material 7 andsurrounds and covers like a cap the major part of the intermediatefastening element 3.

It is also possible to mount the lacing device 1 by first mounting thelace holding part 2 and the intermediate fastening element 3 andsubsequently placing the flexible piece of material 7 over the opening14 of the intermediate fastening element 3 and applying a supportagainst the lace holding part 2 on the other side of the lacing device.With the lace holding part 2 mounted in this way, it constitutes anabutment when making the permanent engagement between the intermediatefastening element 3 and the inner fastening element 4. The upper part 18of the inner fastening element 4 is now applied against the flexiblepiece of material 7 in the position where the opening 14 of theintermediate fastening element 3 is located. By striking against theinner fastening element from below towards the intermediate fasteningelement 3, the upper part 18 of the inner fastening element 4 can nowpenetrate the flexible piece of material 7 and, when hitting the outerfastening element 5, form a deformed portion 17 in the material holdingspace 16.

An alternative way of mounting the lacing device 1 corresponds to theabove-mentioned alternative embodiment according to FIG. 4. In this way,the intermediate fastening element 3 is inserted into the depression 12of the lace hook 6, after which the outer fastening element 5 isinserted into the fastening hole 11 of the lace hook 6 and fastened inthe internal threads 13 of the intermediate fastening element 3.Subsequently, the flexible piece of material 7 is placed over theopening 14 of the intermediate fastening element 3, and a support isapplied against the lace holding part 2 on the other side of the lacingdevice. With the lace holding part 2 mounted in this way, it constitutesan abutment when making the permanent engagement between theintermediate fastening element 3 and the inner fastening element 4. Theupper part 18 of the inner fastening element 4 is now applied againstthe flexible piece of material 7 in the position where the opening 14 ofthe intermediate fastening element 3 is located. By striking against theinner fastening element from below towards the intermediate fasteningdirection 3, the upper part 18 of the inner fastening element 4 can nowpenetrate the flexible piece of material 7 and, when hitting with theconical point 20 of the inner fastening element 5, form a deformedportion 17 in the material holding space 16. The permanent engagementbetween the intermediate fastening element 3 and the inner fasteningelement 4 can also be made by conventional riveting, gluing or by usingsnap action.

It will be appreciated that many modifications of the above-describedembodiment of the invention are conceivable within the scope of theinvention, as defined by the appended claims. The term lacing devicealso relates to a fastening device other than the device illustrated inthe drawings for conventional shoe or boot laces which may be replacedby bands, straps, plastic joints, metal joints or the like.

The invention can also be applied in connection with joints of a typeother than for shoes, such as pieces of clothing or flexible sheetmaterial that is to be tied or secured.

In the case where the inner fastening element is provided withsupplementary fastening rivets, the number of such rivets may varyaccording to the requirements as to strength and safety in positioning.

1. A lacing device comprising at least one lace holding part, anintermediate fastening element and an inner fastening element, forfastening to a flexible piece of material, said piece of material beinglocated between said intermediate fastening element and said innerfastening element, the inner fastening element being arranged, in themounted state, to make permanent engagement with the intermediatefastening element, and the lace holding part being detachable from theintermediate fastening element.
 2. A lacing device as claimed in claim1, wherein in the mounted state, said piece of material is held byclamping action between said intermediate fastening element and saidinner fastening element.
 3. A lacing device as claimed in claim 1,wherein said intermediate element is arranged to position, in themounted state, said lace holding part by mutually engaging surfaceportions.
 4. A lacing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein thepositioning occurs by way of supplementary non-round shapes of saidintermediate element and a depression in said lace holding part.
 5. Alacing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the positioning occurs byway of supplementary regularly polygonal shapes of said intermediateelement and a depression in said lace holding parts.
 6. A lacing deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein said lace holding part is arranged toenclose, in the mounted state, the major part of said intermediatefastening element.
 7. A lacing device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid lace holding part covers like a cap the major part of saidintermediate fastening element.
 8. A lacing device as claimed in claim7, wherein said lace holding part abuts against said flexible piece ofmaterial.
 9. A lacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said laceholding part is arranged to be, in the mounted state, an abutment whenmaking said permanent engagement between said intermediate fasteningelement and said inner fastening element.
 10. A lacing device as claimedin claim 1, wherein said intermediate fastening element is arranged toform, in the mounted state, a material-holding space in connection withthe making of the permanent engagement between said intermediatefastening element and said inner fastening element.
 11. A lacing deviceas claimed in claim 10, wherein said material-holding space adjoins saidlace holding part and said inner fastening element.
 12. A lacing deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner fastening element at leastpartly is made of a plastically deformable material.
 13. A lacing deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner fastening element is arrangedto make, in the mounted state, permanent engagement with theintermediate fastening element by deformation of the inner fasteningelement.
 14. A lacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the innerfastening element is arranged to make, in the mounted state, permanentengagement with the intermediate fastening element by riveting.
 15. Alacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner fastening elementis arranged to make, in the mounted state, permanent engagement with theintermediate fastening element by gluing.
 16. A lacing device as claimedin claim 1, wherein the inner fastening element is arranged to make, inthe mounted state, permanent engagement with the intermediate fasteningelement by snap action.
 17. A lacing device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the lace holding part is arranged to make, in the mounted state,releasable engagement with the intermediate fastening element bythreading.
 18. A lacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laceholding part is arranged to make, in the mounted state, releasableengagement with the intermediate fastening element by snap action.
 19. Alacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lace holding partcomprises an outer fastening element and a lace catching element.
 20. Alacing device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the outer fasteningelement is arranged to make, in the mounted state, releasable engagementwith the intermediate fastening element.
 21. A lacing device as claimedin claim 20, wherein the outer fastening element is arranged to make, inthe mounted state, releasable engagement with the intermediate fasteningelement by threading.
 22. A lacing device as claimed in claim 20,wherein the outer fastening element is arranged to make, in the mountedstate, releasable engagement with the intermediate fastening element bysnap action.
 23. A lacing device as claimed in claim 19, wherein saidlace catching element in the mounted state is laterally offset relativethe centre axis of the lacing device through the flexible piece ofmaterial.
 24. A lacing device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lacecatching element is a lace hook.
 25. A lacing device as claimed in claim19, wherein said lace catching element is a lace eyelet.
 26. A method ofmounting a lacing device, comprising: arranging a flexible piece ofmaterial between an inner fastening element and an intermediatefastening element; permanently fastening the intermediate fasteningelement to the inner fastening element; and releasably fastening a laceholding part to the intermediate fastening element.
 27. A method ofmounting a lacing device as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:permanently fastening, by riveting, the intermediate fastening elementto the inner fastening element.
 28. A method of mounting a lacing deviceas claimed in claim 26, further comprising: using a lace holding part asabutment in the permanent attachment of the intermediate fasteningelement to the inner fastening element.
 29. A lacing device as claimedin claim 2, wherein said intermediate element is arranged to position,in the mounted state, said lace holding part by mutually engagingsurface portions.
 30. A method of mounting a lacing device as claimed inclaim 27, further comprising: using a lace holding part as abutment inthe permanent attachment of the intermediate fastening element to theinner fastening element.